Last night Sam White was homeless

Chairman of Loan Market, Sam White, has returned to the office today after taking part in the 10th annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Alongside 285 CEOs at the Sydney event and some 1,285 across the country, Sam awoke today after a night braving the cold and rain. At last count, Sam has raised over $18,000 across his fundraising page and Facebook charity auction.

A message from Sam"This is my second year as a proud ambassador of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

"What I experienced for one night is the daily reality for over 105,000 people in Australia. A statistic which shocks me is that there are 17,000 children that have no home and are forced onto the streets because of family violence.

"The issue of homelessness in Australia is bigger than you may realise. When I visited the Matthew Talbot Centre in Darlinghurst I spent time with case workers who explained to me, that not only do they provide beds to 90 people every night, they also provide much needed mental health care, meals and vocational services to over 600 homeless Australians.

"Their goal is to reintegrate these individuals into the community within a year. Unfortunately there are many such hostels that are needed and located throughout Sydney and Australia. These shelters and case workers rely on half their funding from Vinnies, which in turn now relies significantly on the CEO Sleepout to raise money.

"While it's just one night for me, there are thousands of Aussies who have no place to call home each night. At Loan Market, we're in the business of getting people into houses, and I'm passionate about supporting the homeless.

"Today I got to go home, freshen up and see my family. But this is a privilege so many Australians will not enjoy. People just like you and me – mums, dads and even small children who have no home.

"The event might be over, but there is still so much to do. Last night we raised important awareness and funds, but we have a long way to go to help Vinnies reach their target of $10 million.

"There's still time to get involved and you can continue to donate to my fundraising page, or bid on an item in our charity auction on Facebook. By supporting me, you're helping to invest in real solutions for people without a home."